


Unlikely Union

by starrynebula



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: M/M, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-01
Updated: 2015-05-01
Packaged: 2018-03-26 16:31:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3857395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrynebula/pseuds/starrynebula
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Will's relationship with JJ falls apart it might be a surprise at who is there to pick up the pieces.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unlikely Union

Keeping an eye on Henry who was standing next to him on the front porch, Will slid his key into the lock with the hand that wasn’t holding a shopping bag. He was puzzled by the addition of the dark colored SUV in the driveway. Though he didn’t recognize it on sight, he was assuming that it belonged to one of the BAU agents and wondered why JJ hadn’t informed him that they were having a guest tonight. Even if it had been a surprise visit she could have still texted him, though secretly he was hoping the mystery guess would not be staying for dinner. He had planned to cook a wonderful dinner with some of his favorite Cajun dishes to celebrate JJ finally saying yes to marrying him - though the real celebration would come tomorrow night after they handed Henry over to Garcia’s capable hands.

            Removing the key from the lock, Will pushed the door opened. Henry slid through the opening as soon as there was enough room. The New Orleans native followed his son’s lead at a more leisurely pace, which was probably a good thing as he had to stop quickly when he realized that Henry hadn’t gotten far.

            Will stopped quickly just before tripping over his son. He would have had to be blind though to miss what had caused Henry to stop. The heads of JJ and David Rossi could be seen over the back of the sofa, the looks of surprise probably rivaling only Will’s own. JJ’s shoulders were bare, except for the red, satin straps of her bra, and Will didn’t even want to think about what state of undress Rossi might be in behind the privacy of the couch.

            “Oh my God,” JJ exclaimed her eyes going from Henry to Will. “I wasn’t expecting you home this quickly.”

            “Obviously,” Will replied dryly. He knew he should do something. Yell, throw the older man out, leave himself but he couldn’t make himself do anything. He just felt numb with the shock of the sight. JJ had finally said yes to one of his marriage proposals and the next day he walks in on this. He felt like such a fool.

            “Mommy, why are you kissing Uncle Dave like you kiss Daddy?”

            Henry’s innocent sounding question brought Will out of his shock. Right now, the important thing was to remove Henry from the situation. Despite the damage having already been done, the little boy didn’t need to see anything else.

            Reaching down, Will took Henry’s hand in his own. “Henry, I forgot something at the store. Let’s go get it.”

            Henry looked up at him with confusion in his blue eyes. Will knew exactly how the little boy felt. How could he have been so stupid?

            “Will, don’t just walk out,” JJ said. “Let’s talk about this.”

            “I don’t want to talk,” Will replied, placing the bag of groceries on a nearby chair before picking up his son. “Feel free to pawn the ring, I don’t want it back, though I don’t think you’ll need the money,” he said, letting his gaze drift from JJ to Rossi, who at least had the decency to look embarrassed. He wanted to say something else, but he wasn’t going to utter those thoughts where his little boy could hear them. JJ was still Henry’s mother despite the fact that he had just broken his heart.

            With Henry in his arms, Will turned sharply on his heel and headed back out the door he had just entered. He wasn’t staying. There was nothing left to say. JJ had obviously made her choice. Apparently he wasn’t enough for her despite everything he had done for her - given up his shield, moved away from his beloved home city, and became Mr. Mom so that she could pursue her own dreams. The way he felt right now, JJ might as well of just picked up her gun and shot him in the gut - he didn’t think it could hurt any worse.

            “Daddy, are you crying?” Henry asked.

            Will looked down into his son’s worried face as the little boy reached up and wiped at some stray tears that were slowly rolling down his father’s sleep.

            “It’s going to be okay, Henry,” Will replied. For Henry’s sake he had to make sure that he held it together. He couldn’t fall apart no matter how much he would like to.

            Securing Henry safely into the car, Will walked around the car and climbed in behind the wheel. Fishing his keys out of his pocket he put the keys into the ignition. As the motor came to life, he looked back in the direction of the house. At the place he had called home. He knew that he would never be able to call it that again, and didn’t even want to think about having to return to it. Eventually, he would need to in order to get his things but right now he just wanted to put distance between him and the sight of JJ and Rossi clearly making out on his sofa. The sofa that just last night, he and JJ had been sharing similar activities on.

            But where could he go? Explaining to Henry why they were going to a hotel would be difficult but he had no family in the area. All his friends were JJ’s friends too. Still, there was one person who he thought might understand on some level. One man who had lost the woman that he loved not once but twice.

            Backing the car out of the driveway, Will made the decision to go there. It was the only place nearby that he had even a chance of finding someone who might sympathize.

  
  


            “And there they were, on the couch. I couldn’t believe it. Just last night she finally said she would marry me and today I find her . . . well I’m not entirely sure what I walked in on but the state of dress JJ was in gave me a pretty good idea,” Will said, as he finished relating his story. “I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t be laying this on you as they’re both your friends and co-workers.”

            “It’s okay, Will,” Aaron Hotchner said, placing a hand on the New Orleans native’s shoulder and giving it a slight squeeze. “You’re my friend to.”

            “I just didn’t know where else to go,” Will said as he watched Jack and Henry playing with Jack’s Lego Star Wars play sets. The two boys were getting along fine despite their age differences. “Didn’t know who would possibly understand.”

            “I understand your feelings more than you realize,” Hotch said quietly, his mind drifting back to a time right before Haley had left him.

            “What do you mean?” Will asked, looking away from the boys and to the man sitting on the couch next to him.

            Hotch sighed. He had never told anyone about his suspicions about Haley but somehow, sharing it with Will, at this point in time seemed right somehow. Keeping his voice low, not wanting the kids to overhear, Hotch began to explain. “Before Haley actually left me, I thought she was seeing someone else on the side. There were phone calls to the house that when I answered the caller just hung up. One time, right after one of those calls, Haley’s cell phone rang but she didn’t answer it in front of me. I may not have actually walked in on them, but I’m sure there was someone else.”

            “Would you have left her if you had proof?”

            Hotch thought about the question for a moment. He had banished the thought to the back of his mind for so long, wanting to hold on to the love they had once shared, but could he have stayed with her if he had known for sure she was seeing someone else. “I think so. I think that’s why I signed the divorce papers uncontested in the end.”

            “Daddy,” Jack’s called, interrupting the adult conversation.

            Hotch looked toward the table. “Yes, Buddy?”

            “Can Henry and I go color in my room?”

            “Sure, pal. I’ll come get you when it’s time for dinner,” Hotch told him. He smiled at the sight of Jack taking Henry’s hand and leading them toward his room.

            “What am I going to do?” Will said, watching the two boys himself. “As much as I’d like to take Henry and go back to New Orleans, I can’t do that. JJ is still his mother. I can’t keep him from her completely. At the same time, what do I really have left for me here. I haven’t exactly gone out of my way to make friends, I don’t have a job because I’ve been taking care of Henry. JJ and Henry have been my life.”

            “And Henry still will be,” Hotch told him, taking in the man’s distraught look. The same one he had seen on Will’s face first in New Orleans and then in Miami looking for answers to his friend’s death. He felt his heart skip a beat, just like it had when he had first seen Haley or the first time he had set eyes on Jason Langley the year before that. Feeling something for another man, didn’t surprise him but feeling something for Will did. What was the chance the other man would feel the same way?

            Pushing those feelings aside for now, Hotch continued. “As for a job, I’m sure you can get a position with one of the police departments in the area and you’re not alone. At the very least you’ve got me. It’ll be a bit crowded here, but you and Henry can stay here until you get things sorted out. You just need to take one day at a time.”

            “One day at a time, huh,” Will said forlornly. He turned his head and met Hotch’s gaze. The emotions he read there took him by surprise. Or maybe he was just imagining things. “You make it sound so easy.”

            “Nothing about this situation is easy,” Hotch replied, speaking from personal experience. “But eventually you do heal. The sadness and heartache go away, and you find that you can be happy again.”

            “Right now I can’t imagine feeling anything ever again except this numb feeling that has come over me. It’s like my capacity to feel anything disappeared the moment I saw JJ with Rossi.”

            “Nothing has disappeared, you just need to find something that can cut through the hurt your feeling right now,” Hotch told him, subconsciously leaning forward as he said the words as if pulled by an invisible force.

            “I can’t imagine that ever happening again.”

            “It will. Let me show you,” Hotch said, the words not much more than a whisper. Knowing he was putting his own heart on the line, and the time was anything from perfect, but life was about risks. If he let this moment pass, he might never have the courage or opportunity to express the feelings tumbling inside him at this moment.

            Leaning forward, Hotch finished closing the distance between his mouth and Will’s. Pressing his lips against the full lips of the Cajun’s, Hotch felt his heart skip a couple of beats this time, relishing the feel of skin on skin as he heard Will’s sharp intake of breath. And then Will was returning the kiss, pressing his lips harder against Hotch’s. Reaching up, Will let his fingers disappear into Hotch’s dark hair.

            Eventually, both of them had to break for air. Pulling back, the two looked into each other’s eyes.

            “What was that?” Will asked.

            “Me showing you that you can still feel things for another person,” Hotch replied.

            Will didn’t reply right away, his thoughts focused on what had just taken place. Though he still hurt from JJ’s betrayal, he also couldn’t deny that he had enjoyed that kiss. Couldn’t deny that he had felt a spark of attraction for the man who had initiated it. Still, he wasn’t sure he was ready to jump into a new relationship so soon after the abrupt ending of the one he had been involved in for so long. If he pushed Hotch away now though, what would be missing out on in the future.

            “I’m not sure I’m ready,” Will whispered.

            “That’s fine. Just know I’m here when you are ready and until then I’ll be the friend you can lean on while you sort things out.”

            “Thanks,” Will said, managing to get that one word out around the choked up feeling he was experiencing.

            “Meanwhile, why don’t we tackle the task of making dinner,” Hotch said, mentally shaking himself out of the daze that had come over him, and getting to his feet. “We’ve got two little boys who expect Daddy to feed them.” He held out a hand to Will.

            “Cooking dinner, I think I can handle,” Will said, taking the proffered hand and letting himself be helped to his feet.

            ~ _One day at a time_ , ~ Will reminded himself. Somehow that seemed even easier to handle now that he knew he wouldn’t have to go it alone.


End file.
